Cruz (Dark and Dirty Sinners' MC #5) - Serena Akeroyd Page 0,156

working hard to support his fam while struggling with college tuition, there at the wrong place at the wrong time, just trying to earn some honest bucks...

No. Just, no.

"Cruz?"

I turned around, and saw she was still on her side, watching me, her eyes sleepy and dazed, but somehow penetrative.

She understood what I'd done.

She held out her hand for me, leaving me no choice but to wander over to her, a little zombie-like, and to slip my fingers into hers.

"Everything will be okay," she soothed.

"The MC has been a part of my identity for a very long time," I told her, shooting her a wan smile. "I don't know what I am if I'm not a Sinner."

With her other hand, she reached out and trailed her fingers over the sore outline of her brand. "You might not know, but I do."

My lips twitched, but before I could say another word, my cell buzzed.

I sucked in a sharp breath, hating that I was nervous, hating that I was the same friendless kid again who was terrified about losing the approval of the only people who'd ever liked him.

But I was so much more than that now.

Indy was right, because Darren would never have been able to get a chick this hot. Only Cruz could do that. Only Cruz could get a woman like Indy to be his Old Lady.

So I bit the bullet, stopped being a pussy, and looked down at my cell phone.

What I saw had me closing my eyes.

"What is it? What did they say?"

I showed the phone to her, let her read the message.

Rex: No worries. There are better ways to get retaliation anyway. Please, don't stop trying your mom. She's the only one with any answers right now. I'll speak to you tomorrow, and I'll smooth things over with the council. Night.

"See, they're not as big a bunch of assholes as you think," she murmured, sitting up so that she could slide her arms around my waist, and press her face into my chest.

"I guess not," I whispered shakily, burying my own into her hair to hide from the world.

"Happy now?"

I squeezed her. "I don't deserve to be this happy."

She smiled—I felt the movement of her lips against my skin. "Don't worry, you haven't lived with me when I get PMS yet."

Snorting out a laugh, which was totally worth the pain in my ribs, I pulled back, relieved and glad and loving her for breaking that charged moment, before I said, "No, I guess I haven’t.”

“Or… did you know I hate bikes?”

My lips quirked. “Funny.” Although, she never had ridden with me on mine before…

“I’m not lying,” she told me with a small chuckle.

“You’ll like riding bitch with me,” I vowed. “When I get a new bike, that is.” My nose crinkled at the loss of my prized hog. “Anyway, you going to finish this tattoo before I change my mind now I know you hate bikes and are a bitch when you get your period?"

Her eyes twinkled, tiny gold filaments dancing around her irises. "Well, the customer is always right, but the tattoo artist isn't usually leaking the client's cum as she works."

"That's the perk of having one for an Old Lady then, no?"

She hummed. "It would seem so."

"Know where I want your brand?" I asked softly.

"Well, I figure it has to be somewhere I can reach," was her dry response.

I snickered at her smartass retort, then reached for her arm and twisted it gently around. “Here."

“What do you have in mind?”

I grabbed her other hand and pressed it to the tattoo on my chest, the one of a shriveled heart—how it had been for far too long, and how it would always have been. Without her. “This was how I was before I met you. I can’t change it, you know a cover up wouldn’t work on this kind of ink, but I figure since my heart beats for you anyway, you can keep it safe for me, right here…” I tapped her forearm, just above her pulse point.

A shaky breath escaped her. “You really mean that?”

“You know I do, Indy.”

Her smile was beautiful, pure, innocent, joyous. Everything I needed to see to know that she felt the same way as I did about her. There were no doubts, not a single one on her face, and I knew, even though my connections might disturb her, she wasn’t going anywhere.

Ever.

Unless it was at my side.

”Maybe I should be glad you want me to do it,” she